Improvement in hay-presses



UNTTED STATES SILAS G. RANDALL, OF NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT.

IMPROVEMENT IN HAY-PRESSES.

Spcclicaton forming part of Letters Patent No. 29,194, dated July 17, 1860.

To @ZZ whom, it may concern;

Be it known that I, Sims G. RANDALL, of New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented an Improved Hay-Press; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specication.

Figures l and 2 of said drawings are top views of my improved press, showing some of the parts thereof in different positions in the respective figures, Fig. 3, a side view of the same; Fig. 4, a view of a portion ofthe under side of the press; Fig. 5, a view ofthe outer or left-hand side ofthe compressing-box; Fig. 6, a

. section in the line x x of Fig. 2, and Fig. 7 a

top view of the driving-shaft R and the parts which are immediatelyr combined therewith detached from the press. l

Similar letters indicate the same parts in all the drawings.

In constructing my improved press I first form a strong oblong frame of beams, posts, and cross-ties, in the manner represented in the accompanying drawings. This frame must be furnished with a smooth bottom, G, and sides S S, of planking, secured to the upper surfaces of the cross-ties and the inner surfaces of the posts of said frame in any suitable manner. The compressing F box of the press is formed in the following manner,viz: Theupper side of the mouth of said box is formed by the strong cross-tie C, which is secured to the beams D D of the press-frame, and the upper side of said box is formed by the cover A, which is hinged to the cross-tie C. The outer or left-hand side, B, of said compressing-box is hinged to the left-hand bottom cross-tie, E, and the upper edge of this side ofthe compressing-box can be securely united to the outer edge of the upperv side of said box by means of the annular straps 7c 7c, which are secured to the latter, and whose loop ed descending shanks are united to staples that project from the former by means of the rod Z, as shown in Fig. 3.

The follower or platen O of the press is connected to the ends of the rock-bars L L by means of the parallel longitudinal beams N N and the transverse blocks m m. The opposite ends of said rock-bars are connected with each other by means of the cross-head M. A suitable number of grooves, j, are formed in the plank bottom G of the press-frame, and corresponding grooves are also formed in the vhinged upper side, A, of the compressing-box,

which grooves receive grooved angle-blocks 'L' t', that are secured to the platen of the press, as shown in Fig. 5. Between each pair of the angle-blocks i t' an aperture, a, is formed in the platen O, the use of which I will explain as follows: After the yplaten O has been carried outward to its full extent, and before any hay has been placed in the open box ofthe press, hoops bent into the form of staples should be placed in the grooves j j in the bottom and top of the compressing-box, with their ends extending toward the follower asufcient distance to enablethem to be lapped over each other upon the compressed bale by the action of the grooved blocks z' z' as the follower is carried inward. The lapped ends of the said hoops being brought immediately underthe apertures n in the follower, they can be secured to each other by any suitable means while the bale is under pressure.

The follower of myimproved hay-press is operated in the following manner,viz: Two strong beams, H H', are secured in parallel positions to the outer sides of the right-hand outer posts, T, Fig. 3, of the press-frame, with just sufficient space between the said beams to receive and guide the rocl-bars L L in their movements. J ournal-boxes are secured to the inner sides of the beamsH H', which receive the vertical drivi ng-shaft R. Parallel head-blocks I I' are placed a short distance to the right of the beams H H', and connected thereto, respectively, by means of bolts a a and a' a'. Retaining-detents e e' are pivoted to the brackets d' d', which are secured to the inner sides of the blocks I I', and a curved spring, c', is also pivoted centrally between the detents e' e', whose shape is such that when it is turned into the position represented in Fig. 2 it will cause the said detents to work into the notches in the rock-bars L L, and when the said spring is.

. effected by means of the long boltsb b and the spiral springs c c, as shown in the drawings. Detents e c are jointed to the brackets d d, which are secured to the faces of the beams K K of the aforesaid sliding frame.

The curved spring f, which is pivoted centrally between the detents e e, is of such a size and shape that by turning it into the position shown in Fig. 2 it will cause the said detents to work into the notches in the rock-bars L L, and by turning the said spring into the position shown in Fig. 1 the said detents may be turned inward, entirely clear of the notchesin said rock-bars.

Journal-boxes are secured to the sides of thel sliding frame K for the reception ofthe arbor of the roller t', whose periphery is pressed against the cam g on the projecting lower end of the driving-shaft R by the action of the springs c c. A crank, q, on the projecting lower end of the driving-shaft R receives the pitman Q, whose outer end may at pleasure be connected to a pin which projects from the central portion of the head-block M, (at the outer ends of the rock-bars,) and may be retained in said position, by means of the button p, untilsueh time as it may be desirable to disconnect the said pitman from all -connection with the rock-bars. The arm t, which is pivoted tothe upper beam, H, and whose outer end'has an inwardly-proj ectin g shoulder, serves the following purpose, |viz: When the crank q on the lower end of the driving-shaft R is connected with the head M of the rock-bars L L, it is necessary to secure the sliding frame K K in such a position that when the saiddriving-shaft is turned upon its axis the cam r/ will revolve free and clear of said sliding frame, and this is done by pressing the sliding frame against the action of 'thel springs c c to the aforesaid position, and then catching and retaining it in -that position by turning the arm to the position shown in Fig. 8.

When placed in a position for use, my improved hay-press must `be rigidly secured in a horizontal position, and the lever P must be of such a length that a horse attached to its outer end can walk around the press.

I prepare my improved press for the reception of the charge of hay or other substance that is to be compressed into bales in the following manner, viz: First, the platen O is moved outward to the extent of its movement in that direction. Then the detents c e and c c are thrown out of their operating positions. Then the sliding frame K K is con'- iined in the position shown in Fig. 3. Then the pitman Q is put into connection with the head M of the rock-bars L L. Then the neeessary binding-hoops are placed within the grooves of the compressing box, and the hinged sides of said box are secured in their closed positions. Then when the requisite charge of the material to be operated upon has been forced into the compressing-box and the open box at the right of the same a half of a revolution is imparted to the drivingshaft R, which will cause the crank q and the pitman Q, to move the follower to the mouth of the compressing-box. Then the sliding frame K K is relieved from the action of the arm t and allowed to resume the position shown4 in Fig. l. The detents lc c and c c are thrown into the operating position shown in Fig. 2, and motion is imparted to the driving-shaft R and continued until the requisite degree of pressure is exerted upon the material within the compressing-box, the said shaft acting upon the platen in the following manner, viz:

The cam g forces forward the sliding frameA K, and by so doing it imparts a corresponding amount of movement to the platen through the medium of the detents e c and the rockbars L L, and the movement thus imparted to the platen of the press by the cam g will be retained by the detents e c until the succeeding action of said cam, and so onwardA until the desired amount of pressure is obtained.

Vhat I claimy as myiuvention, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-

l. The arrangement of the platen O and its double rock-bars L L with the sliding frame K K, the actuating-detents c e, the drivingshaft R, the cam g, and the retaining-detents c c', substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein set forth.

2. The grooves j j on the'upper and lower sides of the compressing-box, in connection with the grooved angle-blocks z' e', combined with the platen of the press, and the apertures a in said platen, all substantially as herein set forth.

The above specification of my improved hay-press signed and witnessed this 11th day of May, 1860.

SILAS G. RANDALL. 

